The Story Behind the Work
From the pointed helmet lying nearby, it was clear who the enemy was.
(Thomas L. And Edward L. Pulling)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
"Come On! Buy More Liberty Bonds" would be a notable poster for its visual impact alone. A Yank stands over the silhouetted body of a fallen German, whose iconic spiked helmet, or pickelhaube, is knocked off his head. But it's even more notable on another count: Walter Whitehead's 1918 design is the only war bond poster ever produced that depicts violence done by -- rather than to -- Americans.
At the time, the dead man's headgear would have been easily known by audiences as shorthand for "German." Four additional posters even make explicit reference to "Huns," a contemporary anti-German slur alluding to the Eurasian nomads whose ancient pointed helmets resembled the pickelhaube.
Yet there's no real connection between modern Germany and the tribe best epitomized by the fifth-century marauder Attila. Rather, the insult (seen in such works as Fred Strothmann's "Beat Back the Hun with Liberty Bonds") derived from a 1900 speech by Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Addressing German soldiers about to leave for China to help put down the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-Western uprising, the German leader urged his country's troops to fight like the Huns a thousand years ago.
